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Beautiful people to line catwalks at fashion week

MONDAY marks the beginning of Oxford Fashion Week. which will be filled with shows, talks and productions from the most fashionable people in the county.

Dozens of models and designers will celebrate the event, and Oxford Fashion Week director Carl Anglim said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. Everything is in great shape. We have fantastic partnerships.”

During the week, sponsored by the Oxford Mail, there will be five catwalk shows, a photography exhibition and a speaker event.

Oxford Brookes University student Phoebe Drinkall, 20, has been chosen as the face of Oxford Fashion Week 2014. She said: “I’m very excited, although I am slightly apprehensive about the lingerie show.

“The one I’m most looking forward to is the Concept Show. everyone who’s been involved in the past says it’s amazing because it’s just so different artistically.” The week starts on Monday with two opening night parties – one for VIP guests and another for the public.

Mr Anglim, who founded the event in 2009, said: “We’ve put it together with a completely new team in a year. It’s been a lot of fun.” One highlight of the year is the High Street Show, which will feature designs from retailers such as Next and New Look.

The week will close with the Couture Show, to be held in the Malmaison Hotel.

Mr Anglim admitted there was not a lot of time to practise ahead of the shows.

He said: “You have only got one shot to do this with the models, the clothes, the hair, the nails, the music, the lights. The real thing is the first time it all comes together.”

But he said he had every faith in his models, most of whom are amateurs.

“We’ve never had a model fall over. They’re more worried about that than I am.

“We have prepared them for it, and if it does happen I have every confidence that they will manage to make it look like it was deliberate.”